A crowning achievement

Monday

Jun 12, 2017 at 6:37 PMJun 13, 2017 at 6:30 PM

By Mark Hughes Cobb Staff Writer

Though a much-sought tiara, the actual Miss Alabama crown doesn't weigh uneasily on the head of Jessica Procter.

"You can almost forget it's there," said the Tuscaloosa native just days into her reign, having won the tile Saturday night in Birmingham. The 21-year-old University of Alabama student bonked it on things a few times, which didn't feel great. "But you've got so much hairspray on, it doesn't move."

The pageant, a preliminary for Miss America, isn't about the jewelry, or glory, she said, but about the friendships, scholarships and skills acquired. The third time was the charm for Procter, who'd entered Miss Alabama previously as Miss Tuscaloosa and Miss Centerpoint, winning this year as Miss Leeds Area. Women 17 to 24 can compete in any city or region where the pageant isn't closed, such as Miss University of Alabama, which is open only to students.

The journey Procter began as a 17-year-old, doing quick catch-up on the pageant world for the potential college benefits, would be immensely valuable without the title.

"I've learned and grown so much," she said. "I feel like I've grown in the last 48 hours," forcing her best foot forward even when it might be tired of wearing heels. "Every year, there's no way to lose Miss Alabama: There's only winning the crown, and learning so much.

"It is so much more than the pretty faces and pretty dresses, for sure."

A procession of pageants

At 17, Procter heard about the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant, a little sister to Miss America, for girls 13 to 17. Not only did the scholarship money look good, but a title couldn't hurt college applications, she thought. The application process overwhelmed her, at first.

"Initially, when I signed up, I couldn't even have told you the current Miss Alabama or Miss America."

But she forged ahead, winning Miss Tuscaloosa Outstanding Teen, then Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen, singing the National Anthem in Atlantic City, N.J. where she placed second runner-up to Miss America's Outstanding Teen. Those titles brought with them tens of thousands of college dollars, so Procter strove higher. After placing in the top five twice, she won Miss Alabama on Saturday, singing "Over the Rainbow" for the talent portion, competing in swimsuit and evening wear, and answering questions onstage and before a five-judge panel.

Even before the top victory, Procter won the Catherine Crosby Long Award for Community Service for her personal platform. Step Up To The Plate partners with the West Alabama Food Bank to fight hunger and food insecurity through drives, the Fifth Quarter program -- saving leftover food from gymnastic meets, football and basketball games, and vacuum-sealing them for later use -- and awareness-raising. She'd witnessed stark poverty first-hand on mission trips, but like many Americans, thought of it as a far-away problem.

In a Psychology 101 class, she wept openly watching a "20/20" documentary on struggling families in Camden, New Jersey. One story in particular landed hard: Ivan Stevens, a 4-year-old, wishing he could become Superman and fly his family to a home. Kindergarten was his more realistic dream.

"I wanna go to school so bad. I wanna read," Ivan said, in the film. At the end of the first day, he showed off an extra juice box, and remembered eating cheese, bread and applesauce. "I'm not going to cry no more, and I'm going to be a big boy."

Young woman Procter couldn't stay so dry-eyed, as an educator tried to explain ones, twos and threes to Ivan through images. He got the tricycle, but didn't recognize breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"He had never heard those words before," she said. "They just ate whatever was available, cans of Ravioli, green beans. ... He had no concept of three set meals a day.

"Quick to weep person that I am, I'm bawling like a baby in my 101 class. I just couldn't fathom it," she said. "So I started freaking out. I was going to solve world hunger in a day."

Step Up to the Plate

Reality taught her how huge the problem can be, with one in five people in Alabama living in poverty, and a third of all prepared food in the world going to waste, rather than to those in need. Programs such as Step Up to the Plate, and the work of the WAFB, "... can feed people until they get to a place where they can provide for themselves," she said.

More than 36,000 people in Tuscaloosa County alone live under the poverty line. The WAFB serves nine counties, assisting more than 69,000 people in need, providing millions of pounds of foods through various agencies and service partners. Procter's now-national platform can only help the cause, said Jean Rykaczewski, executive director of the WAFB.

"It's great to have an advocate like her," Rykaczewski said. "She's beautiful, she's kind, she's like everything you could wish for in one person. We're so blessed to have her. She brings her college friends in a 7:30 in the morning, before classes. When we need someone to step in, to speak on our behalf, she is always a person I can call."

Procter's sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, changed its national focus to hunger awareness last year. Fifth Quarter is on track now to expand to the University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of Oklahoma, George Tech and Georgia State. Procter's been helping that growth every step, taking conference calls, making sure processes move forward.

No, she doesn't rest, she said, laughing.

"These last two days, I haven't slept much," Procter said. Miss Alabama's a whirlwind of activity leading up to the final night, in which young women not only strive for the crown, but bond and learn from each other. Women cut early stopped by dressing rooms asking to steam dresses, assist with makeup, or otherwise help the top 12 succeed.

"We're really not competing against each other," and she might know something about that, having grown up the baby of a performing family. Her parents Doff and Laurel Procter are both professional opera performers; Doff directs of the Alabama Choir School, where Laurel's an administrator and artist-in-residence. Jessica sings in a folk duo, You and I, and has performed in local musicals such as "Les Miserables," as Cosette; she calls her range "a random hodgepodge." Both her older sisters sing as well, performing opera and musical theater.

"They used to call us the Von Procters when we were little girls," she said, laughing. "I can't even imagine what would have happened if I'd been born tone-deaf."

Next stop, Miss America

For the next year, she'll represent her generation of Alabama women. In September, she'll compete in Miss America. After that, there's too much to see.

"I can't really perceive (long-range) because I'm open to so much," she said. "I love talking to people about their problems, so I've considered counseling. ... I want to continue leading worship in a church, whether that's volunteer, or as a job. I'll probably sing here, sing there.

"I'm hoping this year as Miss Alabama will shape more of what my future will look like."

And closer in, she's taking moments to enjoy the walk, remembering her parents and other family sitting -- far back -- with friends, a "huge flood of all these faces, so encouraged, everyone running down the aisle, tears sparkling in the spotlights."

Working hard for something's no guarantee it'll happen, she's learned. But after a third try, this happened.